After seven long years of imprisonment, Ahmad Al-Qanba’a, whose defiant words “Mroh Khawa” (“I’m leaving, my friend”) became a symbol of courage, has finally walked free. The 35-year-old from Jenin camp was released as part of the recent prisoner exchange, returning to a city that never stopped waiting for him.

His story, etched deeply into the collective memory of Palestinians, began in an Israeli courtroom in 2018. Facing a life sentence, Al-Qanba’a smiled broadly as the verdict was read. Instead of despair, he offered mockery, a calm, fearless declaration that he would one day leave the prison walls behind. His words spread like wildfire, turning into a phrase of resistance repeated across the camps and streets of Palestine.

During his years in detention, Al-Qanba’a endured severe interrogation and physical exhaustion, yet his spirit remained unbroken. His family, punished collectively through the demolition of their home, carried their pain with quiet pride, calling Ahmad’s struggle “an extension of a path that cannot be broken.” In Jenin, where destruction and defiance coexist, his story became a testament to the human will to endure.

Today, the narrow alleys of the camp echoed with chants and tears as Al-Qanba’a embraced his mother once more, the same smile from 2018 still on his face. His release was not just a homecoming but a living reminder that even behind prison walls, hope continues to speak, loud and unafraid.